PICTURE: China Eastern retires A300-600s

China Eastern Airlines retired its last Airbus A300-600 aircraft after a final flight on 31 May.

The type’s last flight was operated by aircraft registered B-2330 (MSN763) on the Shenzhen-Shanghai Hongqiao route, says the carrier.

China Eastern received its first A300 in 1989, and operated as many as 18 around 2006, becoming the largest operator of the A300 and A310 family aircraft in China at that time.

China Eastern Airlines

It follows the carrier's Airbus A300 freighters, A340-300s, Boeing 767s and MD90s into retirement. The carrier commenced phasing out these types in 2010. The carrier says it is also planning to retire its A340-600s.

Flightglobal’s Ascend Online Fleets database shows that China Eastern Airlines has six Airbus A300-600s. All six will be converted into freighters, with Chinese cargo carrier Uni-Top Airlines being the next intended user. The airline has a fleet of 259 aircraft in service, where its narrowbody fleet consists of Airbus A320 family aircraft and Boeing 737s, while its widebody fleet consists of Airbus A330s and A340-600s.